Updates

Latest news on my, in-the-field, technology research and recommendations.

Windows 11 Backup OneDrive Forced Setup

Protect yourself from Microsoft’s Anti-Competitive OneDrive Out of Box Experience Tactics.

Antimalware Security Is Now Bloatware

Most Antimalware security providers attempt to sell you other unnecessary products through notifications complicating security.

Are PC Hardware Companies Slowly Driving Technology into Restricted Closed Ecosystems?

I am a Computer Hardware professional. I started working with computer technology in the early eighties. I have seen the evolution of technology starting with closed platforms like the game console era and then the move toward open platforms like the Home Computer Golden Age. In the last 5 or 10 years, I have witnessed technology changes that are slowly moving away from open hardware designs towards hardware that is locked down and can’t be modified by the user....more

Are Hardware Manufacturers Trying to Lock Down Consumer Hardware?

Maybe this is a byproduct of cost savings decisions by replicating enterprise-grade hardware manufacturing design principles and using them to design consumer-grade technology. Recently I received a Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 that has options removed. The storage section had no setting to change to a non-raid option. Because OEMs install bloatware on their systems, I choose to install the OS clean, or in most cases, I need to clone a system from dissimilar hardware....more

Update Chrome Security Flaw

Recent Anti-Customer Changes to Desktop & Laptop Technology

I repair computers and provide solutions to everyday computer challenges for home users and very small businesses. To find out more about me, visit my home page. Very recently, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers of consumer desktops and laptops, like Dell, HP, and Sony, etc.) have been introducing new features into the Basic Input/Output System (the system that controls all the hardware in a computer). These features are put in under the guise of protecting the consumer, but in practice, they are unnecessary and over-complicating the setup and experience, reducing ownership power and ownership privacy....more

Building Computers as a Life Experience

Having a computer opens doors, and building one will open even more. I built my first computer in 2020, and it opened my eyes to this. As a kid, I always had a fixation with disassembling different electronics and trying to see how they worked. Often when I would take something apart and put it back together it would no longer work, and it was a bit of a disappointment, but when it worked it was incredible....more

Don't wait to be locked-out of your free email account

Google Sign-in Page - Lockout Example I am a computer professional that helps the public with technology. I have been troubleshooting computer problems for over 25 years. To find out more about me, visit my home page. Many criminal activities are moving online. The cost of cybercrime is predicted to reach 8 trillion in 2023 and for the next five years, it’s going to increase by 15%. Some main targets will be account holders of free online services like Gmail, but other services will also be affected....more

Avoiding pitfalls of data loss

How to protect yourself from losing your important information by understanding how data loss can happen.

Gamer's Friday - Mordheim - City of the Damned

In 2018 my Mordheim play-through ended abruptly. A quarter of the way in, I suffered a brain hemorrhage. My miraculous recovery changed my life for the better and you can read about my experience in my book, but now I am finally getting back into gaming. I find 1st/3rd person perspective strategy games interesting. Maybe because I prefer unconventional gameplay. This one is Turn-based, which is an interesting take on a game that has fighting elements in various locations of Mordheim....more